Mercedes-Benz S-class

Overview

The S-class name has long been synonymous with luxury, thanks to the car’s elegant aesthetics and compelling performance. Whether you choose the roomy sedan, sporty coupe, or indulgent convertible, these high-class Benzes are loaded with the latest technology and the richest materials. All offer smooth and powerful engines and—despite their considerable dimensions—superb driving dynamics. While the lusty AMG and lavish Maybach versions are heartier and fancier, they also cost much more.

Mercedes-Benz S-class Generations Explained

Major redesigns occur every five years or so; not much changes in between. Dividing them into generations provides
more meaningful distinctions in the shopping process.

Get the Best Deal on a Mercedes-Benz S-class

2018 Mercedes-Benz S450 RWD / S450 4Matic

Why settle for less?

Recent News

Buying a Mercedes-Benz S-class with a six-cylinder engine is like buying the smallest yacht that can still cross the Atlantic Ocean. No matter what’s under the hood, the biggest and baddest Benz sedan is a highly indulgent purchase—so why would anyone skimp on the engine just to save a few bucks?

Indeed, six-cylinder S-classes in the United States haven’t enjoyed nearly as consistent of a history as their V-8 and V-12 counterparts. Excluding hybrid and diesel options, few American S-classes in recent memory have offered six-cylinder variants. The current W222-generation car’s predecessor, the W221, did without one, and the W220 S-class before that offered a V-6 S350 model in America for only a single model year (2006).

New V-6, Not Like the Old V-6

Mercedes-Benz’s V-6 engines have come a long way since then, however: Compared with the 2006 S350’s middling 3.7-liter bent-six with a then impressive 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the three-pointed star’s latest and greatest V-6 is a highly sophisticated, potent piece. (Maybe that’s why the badge now reads S450 despite the engine’s sub-4.5-liter displacement.) The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter unit in the new-for-2018 S450 model puts out 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, and it mates with a standard nine-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or all-wheel drive. We tested both the rear-drive and 4Matic versions for this review.

The drivetrain propels the S450 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds (add 0.1 second for the 147-pound-heavier all-wheel-drive 4Matic model, which is pictured here). While that might seem swift enough for a land yacht, it trails BMW’s six-cylinder 7-series, the 740i, by half a second and the latest V-8–powered S-class, the S560, by more than a second. A sub-14-second quarter-mile time can hardly be considered slow, but the S450 lacks the entirely effortless surge of power we expect in an S-class.

Mercedes does do a good job of isolating the V-6 from the S450’s cabin; it’s sublimely quiet at speed, emitting just 65 decibels at a 70-mph cruise—exactly as quiet as its posher Maybach S560 sibling. The key hints that you woulda, coulda, shoulda splurged for the V-8 are the slightly raspy mechanical tone that the V-6 emits on startup and a higher-pitched engine note that reveals itself only higher in the rev range, which you won’t often visit if you cater to the S-class’s desire to motor sedately.

Less Tire Is More

The two fewer cylinders under the S450’s hood result in some weight savings compared with the S560. Comparing 4Matic models, the V-6 car weighed in at 170 pounds less than the V-8 version. This makes for a somewhat more agile feel, and the big sedan is remarkably light on its feet and changes direction ably. Our test S450s rode on fairly pedestrian Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP run-flat rubber, however, that did not grip as well as the more aggressive Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 run-flat tires installed on the S560 4Matic, which pulled 0.90 g to the S450 4Matic’s 0.87 g. The upside of the 19-inch all-season Michelin rubber is possibly the cushiest, plushest ride available on any S-class; both S560s we tested were riding on 20s.

Fuel economy is another advantage for the V-6 S-class; the EPA estimates its mileage to be only a tick higher than the V-8 S560, but both of our V-6 test cars overachieved in our 75-mph real-world highway test. The rear-drive S450 hit 31 mpg, 3 mpg higher than its rating, while the all-wheel-drive S450 still managed 29 mpg, 3 higher than the all-wheel-drive S560 we also tested on the same loop. Combine this remarkable efficiency with the S-class’s huge, 24.6-gallon fuel tank and you get a bladder-busting road-trip range of up to 760 miles.

Still a Splurge

Mercedes doesn’t skimp on the options set for the S450, offering nearly all the same creature comforts as does the S560—at a cost, of course. Our test cars were prime examples: Despite both carrying a base price of less than six figures (4Matic adds $3000), generous loads of extras took these S450s comfortably past the $100,000 barrier, with the rear-drive car coming in at $106,245 and the 4Matic car ringing up at $115,645. Key options on both S450s included a $5000 Premium 1 package (surround-view camera, ventilated front seats, park assist, massaging front seats, and a few other things), a $2600 Warmth and Comfort package (heated everything, including armrests), and a $2250 Driver Assistance package (adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and several other active-safety features). Let’s just say that a fully optioned S450 approaches the pricing realm where AMGs and Maybachs reside.

Now that we’ve carefully considered all of the rational arguments in favor of the V-6 S-class, we’ll go ahead and throw all that out the window in saying that, given the option, we’d be hard pressed not to get the V-8. Unless you’re running a livery company, the increased performance and more special character of the S560 seems to us to be worth stretching another $10,000 or so. It’s an S-class, after all—why settle for less when you can have more?